


Castle on the hill

by Miss_Kitten



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Mention of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 08:20:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9984977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Kitten/pseuds/Miss_Kitten
Summary: Based on “Castle on the hill” by Ed Sheeran; a story of reader’s and Bucky’s meeting, getting together and then parting. There’s a happy ending, thou.





	

**Circa 1925**

> _When I was six years old I broke my leg  
>  I was running from my brother and his friends  
>  Tasted the sweet perfume of the mountain grass I rolled down_

You couldn’t run faster, despite your wishes. Your legs just didn’t move fast enough and your stupid older brother and his friends were closer and closer.

You rounded the corner and darted to the park, hoping that among strolling people your brother wouldn’t catch you, that he would give up.

It didn’t happen, with a wild cry they followed you, sending panic surge through your tired body. You were panting, your lungs were on fire but you couldn’t bring yourself to stop.

Your older brother was usually nice. But only at home; when his friends came around he started to show off and what was better than making fun of his little sis?

Looking over your shoulder to check where they were, you froze when you saw that they were nowhere to be found. As if they perished into thin air, disappeared. You took few shallow breaths to slow your racing heart down and just as you were about to head home, a laughter caught your attention.

It was them. They were in front of you, they must’ve circled you somehow and now they were approaching you, shutting your way out.

So, you did the first thing that came to your mind. You turned around on the balls of your feet and raced through the grass, in a direction of a hill your parents used to take you for sledging in the winter. Your brother was afraid of heights, so you had a chance to free from the chase.

Or, you would if you weren’t exhausted from running. You put your feet in a weird position and stumbled, flying headfirst on the grass, just at the top of the hill.

And, well, the next event was easy to predict. Because of the momentum, you rolled down the hill, scratching your arms and knees, trying to stop yourself by outstretching your palms, but to no avail. You slid all the way down, only when you stopped realizing that your left leg was in pain.

In so much pain. In your entire short life you hadn’t experienced such agony.  You looked up, your vision blurry because of tears, but your brother wasn’t there. He ran away, and you didn’t count on him to bring your dad.

“Are you hurt?!” a voice called from behind you and when you turned your head, you saw two boys, around your age, running to you. One of them, you assumed that he was shouting, had brown hair and the second one, smaller with blonde hair, had an expression of worry written on his face.

“I think something’s wrong with my leg,” you whined and sniffed, the brown-haired boy crouching next to you and touching your leg gently.

“It’s broken, I suppose. Stevie, you go get her parents. What’s your name?”

“Y/N,” you said and gave the boy your surname, too, as well as your dad’s first name. When he left, you looked at the other one, smiling slightly when his blue-grey eyes met yours.

“I’m James, but you can call me Bucky. And don’t worry, your dad will be here soon.”

“Thank you, Bucky,” you said weakly when the tears began to stream down your cheeks and Bucky hesitantly took your hand in his, rubbing his thumb against your knuckles. It was a simple soothing gesture and you found yourself feeling reassured by it.

He remained by your side, holding your hand and telling you funny stories about how Steve always got them into trouble and before you knew it, your dad was sprinting towards you, Steve a bit behind.

As he got to you, he crouched next to Bucky and looked at your leg.

“Sweetheart, we need to take you to hospital. Alright, cupcake?” he cooed, delicately gathering you in his arm, wincing when you moaned from pain.

Still, you didn’t let go of Bucky’s hand.

“Can James go with me?” you asked miserably and your dad glanced at Bucky, his brow quirking.

“You’re Winnie’s James, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You can sure go. I know your mom, I'll tell her you saved my princess.”

Despite the anguish you were in, you blushed slightly at the nickname your dad called you but James only smile brightly and without any more words, your dad began to carry you towards nearest hospital.

And that was how Bucky and Steve became your best friends. The three of you were inseparable since that day.

_____

**Circa 1934**

> _Take me back to when we found  
>  Weekend jobs when we got paid and buy cheap spirits and drink them straight  
>  _

“Don’t laugh at him, you punks!” you barked angrily as you rubbed Steve’s back gently, trying to ease him as he threw up in an alley. He was leaning against the cold stone wall of a block, the rest of your friends formed a circle not very far from the two of you.

A bottle of cheap brandy was being passed over from hand to hand, the boys celebrating the weekend in their usual fashion.

“Poor lil’ Stevie can’t hold his drink,” one of them taunted, gaining a scolding look from you.

“I remember you whined like a kid when you puked after your first drink, so shut up, Chuck,” Bucky rushed with defending his best friend, eliciting a furious blush on Chuck’s face and a round of roaring laughter from other boys.

“Come one, we’re taking you home,” you said softly, beckoning Bucky to come over and once he did, he wrapped Steve’s arm around his shoulders and held him by his waist.

The three of you began to walk slowly, ignoring the rest’ teasing calls. You had to make two more stops on your way, giving Steve time to recover from his first experience with alcohol and when you arrived at his place and laid him on his bed, you stayed to listen to Mrs. Roger’s scolding and a ‘thank you’ somewhere in between. She was angry but grateful that you brought Steve home safely.

When you walked out, Bucky took a cigarette out of his pocket, offering you one. You refused and so he lit his.

“Those are gonna kill you one day,” you teased, descending the stairs and he chuckled, grabbing your elbow and tilting his head, prompting you to go after him.

“I wanna show you somethin’” he said, blowing a cloud of smoke and you shrugged, walking by his side as he lead you wherever he wanted to take you.

You couldn’t deny – Bucky grew up to be incredibly attractive and you heard many of girls swooning over him. Yet, he seemed to be not interested in dating them for more than once, saying that they were mostly immature and no fun. You, yourself, had been on a few dates, but neither of the guys you saw appeared to be good. Not as good as Bucky.

He took you to his block and the two of you climbed up the fire escapes, eventually arriving at the roof. The night was warm but you pulled your sweater tighter around yourself.

“There, look straight,” he pointed a finger to couple of buildings, making you furrow your brows. You didn’t see anything special.

“Buck, what am I looking at? Blocks?” you asked, slightly confused and Bucky reached to your face, gently turning your head by your chin. You felt a shiver ran down your spine from the touch but somehow you managed to focus your attention on the view.

> _And I miss the way you make me feel, it’s real  
>  When we watched the sunset over the castle on the hill    _

“When you look careful enough and help yourself with a bit of imagination, they kinda look like a castle,” he explained, with his finger outlining the contours of the imaginary castle and then, you noticed it.

He was right, the tops formed something that resembled a castle, if you stared hard enough and you grinned joyfully. It was a lovely picture, something you rarely had a chance to see in Brooklyn.

You gasped when first rays of setting sun began to crack through the sky, painting everything in red and orange.

“Buck, it’s beautiful,” you whispered, awestruck and captivated, not noticing when Bucky entwined his fingers with yours, stroking the top of your hand affectionately. He smiled fondly, his eyes never leaving your face as you gazed at the sunset.

“Beautiful, indeed,” he answered and when you turned your eyes at him, Bucky started to lean in closer and closer, giving you time to pull back if you wanted.

Of course, you didn’t want to back away from that. You wished for this to happen for quite some time now.

> _Had my first kiss on a Friday night, I don’t reckon I did it right_

His lips finally met yours, soft and gentle. For a moment, you didn’t know what to do, taken aback by the sensation but when Bucky weaved his arm around you to bring you closer you snapped out of your surprised state and put your other hand on his neck, kissing him back with matching fervor. It was messy but you wouldn’t want it any other way.

For you, it was perfect.

______

**1942**

> _Found my heart and broke it here  
>  Made friends and lost them through the years_

“Y/N, please…”

“You are not doing this, you hear me? You’re not coming, I’m forbidding you!”

“I have to, I got enlisted.”

“Then out-list yourself!” you yelled, feeling stinging tears in your eyes. You couldn’t let this happen, you couldn’t lose him. Not when the two of you were happy, not when he was the only person who was able to keep you sane in those terrifying times.

“You know I can’t do it. Doll, please,” Bucky tried again, his arms opening so you could give him a hug. The last embrace before he had to go and join the army. With a whimper, you jumped into his arms, wrapping yours tightly around his neck as if it would keep him from departing.

“I’ll come back to you, Y/N. I promise. And once I do, we’re gonna get married.”

“Don’t say it like you’re never coming back. Cause it sounds like that.”

“Oh, doll, I’ll always come back to you,” he gave you a small smile but you saw he was barely keeping tears at bay. He brought one of his hands to cradle your face, gingerly thumbing at your cheek.

“You better come home safe and in one piece.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled and pressed his lips into yours in a loving, deep kiss before a man called his name and Bucky had to part. Your heart broke into million pieces as you watched him being taken alongside other men and Bucky kept his eyes on your face as long as he could see you from moving truck.

______

**Circa 1950**

> _And I’ve not seen the roaring fields in so long, I know, I’ve grown  
>  But I can’t wait to go home  _

“Why are you doing this to me?” you cried as a man in white apron painfully shoved you forward. You had no idea where you were or how did you get there. All you could recall was two tall men in dark alley as you walked back home from work. then, it was darkness and you woke up tied to a hospital table, with a drip-bag hanging next to you and a tube leading to your vain. The substance they were infecting you made your body feel as if it was on fire, your insides burning agonizingly, your vision blurring with every passing minute.

You were screaming, begging for help but no one came to save you. Only a short man appeared once, with a satisfied smile on his face and emotionless eyes.

But it was before, so what do they want from you now?

“We could not capture his friend, so you have to do,” the same short man stood in front of you and touched your wrist to take your pulse. You knew it was rigid, your body still recovering from whatever they did to you previously.

They lead you to a vast hall and pushed you into a chair, metal cuffs securing you from escaping.

“Bring him in!” the man ordered and a door opened, two tall man dragging a seemingly lifeless body inside. They threw it into a chair opposite yours, standing by each side and keeping the man still by his shoulders.

As you eyes the stranger, a realization hit you. His hair was longer and he had a metal arm attached but it was him. It was Bucky, _your_ Bucky.

“What have you done to him, you monster?!” you called, fidgeting in your seat, tugging on restrains but the man only laughed.

The short man approached Bucky and slapped him hard on his cheek, demanding his attention. Bucky didn’t even wince, only raised his head and looked at the man.

“Do you recognize this woman?”

James’s eyes wandered to you and you bit your lip, preventing yourself from sobbing out loud. You prayed to God that he’d recognize you, that he was still Bucky you knew, not some dreadful experiment of that mad scientist.

“Y/N? Doll, no, please, no, please tell me it’s not you…”

“Bucky…” you whined and then groaned when the man slapped him again.

“Now, sergeant Barnes. You must cooperate. You will cooperate, otherwise she will get hurt. Every time you fail, your girl will be punished. Understood?”

“Yes,” Bucky panted, a painful expression on his face and you closed your eyes, unable to believe in what was happening. Steve wrote you that Bucky was dead, that he fell from a moving train, how could he be sitting in front of you? How he was alive?

“Put both of them in ice,” the man ordered and you were taken again, pulled away from Bucky without as much as a chance to look at him again.

_____

**Present times**

> _And I’m on my way, and I still remember those country lanes  
>  When we did not know the answers,  
>  And I miss the way you make me feel, it’s real_

Something was wrong. The chamber you were kept in was opened but there were no men in white aprons pulling you out.

Instead, you stumbled out, your body feeling weak and boneless. You didn’t know how long you were in, how long they forced you to sleep for.

You looked around and in far distance you noticed two men. One of them was clad in black, the other in blue and red and suddenly you knew.

They came to kill you. You were no longer needed.

“Doll?” a familiar, kind voice called you name and you hesitantly took a step forward, collapsing on the ground. Your legs didn’t seem to work properly.

The men were at your side in no time and then your vision finally focused you recognized your best friends. Steve was bigger than you remembered him but it was surely little Stevie Rogers. You would recognize his eyes everywhere.

And that meant that the other one was Bucky.

“Bucky?” you asked quietly, hardly louder than a whisper. Your voice was hoarse, your throat felt harsh.

“Yeah, it’s me, Y/N,” he said, a happy smile curling up his lips and you whined when he gathered you in his arms and began to walk out of the hall.

“You’re here…”

“Told you I’d come back to you, doll.”

Then, you fainted, your mind unable to keep you conscious any longer.

_____

A harsh light of hospital lamps pulled you out of the sleep, but you didn’t open your eyes yet. Someone was in the room and you had to know was it safe to let them know you were awake.

“What’s with the tattoo? She has a star on her arm, just like yours,” Steve’s shocked voice rang and you resumed breathing normally.

“They marked her as their property, like they did with me. So I knew that she wasn’t mine, only theirs. Damn, she didn’t even make a sound. They were pissed.”

“They told me that for every noise I made, they’d punch you,” you explained quietly, finally opening your eyes to look at both men. Bucky was sitting in a chair, next to the bed and Steve was standing at its feet, watching you with apologetic and concerned expression.

Bucky tenderly put his flesh hand on your cheek and you let out a small noise of contentment.

“Where am I?”

“In a place called Wakanda. We’re safe here.”

“What year is it now?”

“2017, doll.”

“Holy…” you breathed out, your head spinning as you tried to process that he told you. You were under for more less twenty years, if your counting was correct.

“Y/N, you need to rest now. We’ll talk about it later, when you feel better, alright?”

“Alright, Buck.”

Feeling his hand still on your cheek, you closed your eyes and let the meds put you back to slumber.

______

**Three months later**

Steve and Bucky patiently taught you everything you needed to know. They showed you newest technology, they explained what occurred during the time you were under. You were learning fast, much to Bucky’s happiness.

It appeared that both of your friends had been given a serum that enhanced their abilities. You were given a kind of serum, too, but only to slow down your aging process, so that Hydra could use you against Bucky any time they liked.

It was good that Hydra was being eliminated but from what Steve told you, it would take more time to fully get rid of it.

A day of your birthday came and you were surprised when Steve told you that Bucky had a gift. You didn’t expect them to remember, so, feeling anxious but in a good way, you arrived at the highest floor of T’Challas mansion, finding Bucky standing next to a small quinjet.

“Jump in, I’m taking you for a ride.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see,” he kissed the tip of your nose and ushered you inside, sitting in a pilot’s chair and starting the engine when you were buckled in.

It wasn’t a long trip and you were speechless when you saw the area Bucky took you to. It was your old neighborhood. It looked different now, of course, times had changed, but you were sure where you were.

He landed on a rooftop, the one he lead you onto many, many years ago when neither of you even imagined the horrors you’d have to endure. But you survived, against all odds, and now you could stand on that roof, and look at the sun as it began to set, coating everything in orange and pink.

Bucky reached for your hand, just as he did last time you were there, and you gladly intertwined your fingers with his, enjoying the warmth of his flesh hand. You rested your head on his shoulder, rubbing circles on the skin of his hand with your thumb.

“It’s Friday night, Bucky, isn’t it?”

“That’s right, doll,” he replied, a hint of humor in his voice and when you looked up at him, he was already staring at you.

And so you closed the space between you and kissed his lips, slowly at first but soon longing overtook you and you grasped on his shoulders, pressing your body firmly against his.

The two of you were trying to make up for all those years you were kept apart, and so the kiss soon turned to a greedy, passionate one, but – again – you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Bucky was finally yours and you had no intention of letting him go. Not ever.

> _When we watched the sunset over the castle on the hill_


End file.
